MUMBAI: Internet has edged out television as the world’s favourite medium, according to a global study on media and advertising released by global market intelligence firm, Synovate.

Seven in 10 people across 11 markets cannot live without the internet or would miss it a great deal if it is not there.
 
 
Synovate global executive director - media Steve Garton said that the firm conducted the study determining where and when marketers can "engage potential customers."

Should they join the social media zeitgeist or dabble around the edges in a wait-and-see stance? Is their brand best served by TV, print or radio? And what about the mobile platform?

"Of course the answer is all wrapped up with targeting and ROI, the same as it has always been. To do that well, you simply need to understand your audience... what they like and where their lives intersect with media and brands," said Garton.

Synovate asked more than 8,600 people across 11 markets for their thoughts on media and advertising.

70 per cent of respondents across 11 markets say they either could not live without the internet or would miss it a great deal if it wasn’t there, while 69 per cent said the same for TV. 
 
UK-based Synovate director Philip Shaw said the internet is embedded in Brit’s lives. "It’s not just information and entertainment, it’s communication and networking. The internet’s multifaceted nature makes it more compelling. This is something that TV cannot match."
Synovate also asked about the importance people attached to their mobile or cell phone. 70 per cent of Chinese respondents said they "can’t live without it" and this figure was also high in Hong Kong (59 per cent) and Taiwan (54 per cent).

In all but one of the countries surveyed, a clear majority said they either "could not live without" their phone or would "miss it a great deal". Canada at 46 per cent was the only exception.